Away and (Dis)connection: Reconsidering the use of digital technologies in light of long-term outdoor activities
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
We present a study of long-term outdoor activities, based on altogether 34 interviews with 19 participants. Our goal was not only to explore these enjoyable experiences, but more broadly to examine how technology use was recontextualized 'away' from the everyday. Outdoor activities are commonly presented as an escape from our technology-infused world. In contrast, our interviews reveal experiences that are heavily dependent on technology, both digital and not. However, digital technology - and in particular the mobile phone - is reconfigured when taken out of its ordinary, often urban and indoor, context. We first present a diversity of 'aways' during outdoor activities by depicting cherished freedoms and interpersonal preferences. We then describe how participants managed connection and disconnection while away and upon coming back. To conclude, we discuss how constructions of away can support more purposeful engagements with digital technology, and how pointed (dis)connection can be useful for technology design also in non-outdoor settings.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 230 |
Journal | Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction |
Volume | 3 |
Issue number | GROUP |
ISSN | 2573-0142 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2019 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:
We thank our interviewees for their time and perspectives. We also thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful and generous comments on the manuscript. This work has been supported by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research project RIT15-0046.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Copyright held by the owner/author(s). Publication rights licensed to ACM.
- Away, Disconnection, Mobile phone, Nature, Non-use, Outdoors
Research areas
ID: 318207632